civiL site design
This category features innovative civil site design projects of any size that apply
engineering technology to address the challenging balance of site constraints,
client interests, community concerns, and environmental sensitivities.
Zimbali Civil Infrastructure vela vKe consulting engineers WINNER
zimbali Coastal Resort will be a 700-hectare
expansion of the existing coastal forest estate
north of Durban, South Africa. Nestled along
3. 5 kilometers of pristine coastline and stretching
inland over forested dunes, zimbali provides an
exceptional quality of life for residents and guests.
The future Phase 2 development, zimbali Lakes,
is a 300-hectare estate, 18-hole golf course, and
body of water situated above the wetland forests.
Vela VKE Consulting Engineers was tasked to locate
a new roadway to provide optimum access to the
expanded estate and make provisions for the future
zimbali Lakes development. Vela VKE is responsible
for designing and supervising construction of all
civil infrastructure for the zimbali projects. Part of
the expansion project entailed selecting a new
route for the M4 provincial route from Durban to
Ballito. Within the estate, the client required that
roads follow natural topography when possible.
Estate speed limits were set at 25 kilometers per
hour, with corresponding road geometry and
traffic calming measures.
The client requested a single access point to the
estate for contractors and service staff for security
control. This entry would handle 4,000 workers
during the morning and afternoon peak times and
provide parking for staff, a taxi loading zone, and
a pickup area for the internal shuttle. A materials-handling yard was required to transfer materials
from large vehicles to smaller ones for delivery
within the estate.
Vela VKE also assisted the golf course designer
in avoiding sensitive wetlands and buffer areas.
The rolling topography made it difficult to keep
earthworks within budget while still building a
world-class golf course.
Using MicroStation, GEOPAK, Bentley MXROAD,
and other Bentley solutions, Vela VKE designed and
supervised construction of all civil infrastructure,
bulk and internal, including the M4 realignment.
In addition, Vela VKE assisted with coordination of
designs with other professionals on the project
including electrical, security, irrigation, landscaping,
and architectural components.
